Varamahalaxmi Pooja

Laxmi pooja for Kannadigas (may be for telugus as well because i saw a lot telugu ladies dressed in their finery, going around in our apartment complex!) is celebrated
in the auspicious month of Shravan. It actually the beginning of our festival season, of fasting and feasting. This week was the feating festival, next week Janmastami is a fasting festival!
So this is what i ended up doing for the festival. Though it is more elaborate back home. I just love the idea of wearing our fine cloths and jewels and go to neighbors, invite them to come home and celebrate. It is such a community life! I love it. Here i had only one friend coming over and that was it.
The feast was a good one. I took more than four hours to prepared what we finally ate.
For the Naivedya i had Prepared Obattu, Carrot kosambari, Tove, Beans playa, aloo gadde palya. Later we also had Mavinkai Chitranna, kadlebele (channa dal) vadaa, Jalapeno bajji! Loved it .. it was worth all the time in front of the stove and prepares me for the fasting up next week.

Here is the Thali!

Generally the first course is either the Holige/Obbattu, followed by chitranna (vangibath, hulianna etc), rice and towe, then rice and majjige huli (if it is on the menu!) then rice and vegetable huli, followed by rice and rasam at last rice and curds! Thats indeed a heavy meal is it not! I really love it. Just one point to remember when ever encountering a traditional Karnataka festive meal. Never fill your stomach with one course! Make sure you always have enough room for the next course.

Here are the recipes for the dishes in the thali.
Towe
Tur dal 1/2 cup
Curry leaves 10 and above
Ghee 1 tbsp+ 1 tsp
Hing
Mustard seeds a heaping pinch
Turmeric a pinch
Choice of Green or red chillies 4 and above
Coriander 1/2 cup chopped
Salt
Jeera 1/2 tsp

Method:
Combine tur dal, turmeric and 1 tsp ghee in a pressure cooker and cook for about 1-2 whistles. Set aside to cool. When it is cool enough to open, heat the remaining ghee in a pan. Drop the mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves, chillies in order.Turn off the heat and mix it with the cooked dal. Finish with salt and coriander leaves.

Hurlikai palya
String beans chopped 1 cup
Onion 1 small diced
Green chillies 3 +
Oil 1 tsp
Mustard seeds
Hing
Curry leaves
Salt
Grated coconut
Coriander

Method
Heat oil in a pan. Drop the mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and chillies in order and add onion. Saute till translucent. Add the chopped green beans. Fry for a few minutes. Add water just enough to cook the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and cook till the beans are done.

Hesarubele Kosambari
Carrot grated
Split Moong dal soaked in water for 4 +hours and drained
Lime juice
Salt
Oil 1 tsp
Mustard 1 tsp
Hing
Coconut grated
Green chillies
Salt
Coriander

Method
Drain the moog dal very well otherwise the kosambari will get soggy!!
Prepare the oggarane/tadka. Heat oil, add mustard, hing, curry leaves, chillies in order. Set it aside to cool.
Mix the dal and carrots. Stir in the tadka and coconut. Mix salt and lime juice just before serving.

Spicy aloogadde palya:

Because all the above dishes mentioned are sort mild and not spicy and tingling on the tongue, this particular dish is often added to the menu. This recipe can be replicated for raw plantains. Actually that is what is often used in this recipe. Since i did not have raw plantains, i used potatoes.

Potatoes/ raw plantain chopped into bite size pieces
Oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds
Hing
Fennel seeds
Chilly powder
Dhania powder
Amchoor powder (lime juice can be substituted)
cloves ground
cinnamon ground
salt
Fresh coriander
turmeric
coconut grated

Method

Heat oil in a pot. Drop mustard seeds, fennel seeds, hing and the chopped vegetable. Saute for a few minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients except fresh coriander. Sprinkle a small amount of water. Cover and cook till the vegetable is tender. When done sprinkle coriander.

Holige/Obbatu is also a very traditional sweet dish which is a very integral part of feasts. There are several varieties of holige, sakkare holige(sugar holige), kadlebeejada holige (peanut holige),Kadlebele holige (channa dala holige), togare bele holige(tur dal holige), Kai holige (Coconut holige) and so on.. This one is a tur dal holige. The principle is often the same in all the above mentioned holiges.. Prepare a sweet filling and stuff it in maida balls. Roll it into rotis. Cook it on a griddle with loads of ghee/oil. The tradition is to eat the tur dal hoilge with milk and ghee or kaihalu (sweetened coconut kheer. For me, it was just milk! (I am watching my weight as usual... does it not sound oxymoronic??) These kind of foods make me really happy... as if i am right at home... very close to my near and dear ones in my place.. which i call home.